The National Press Club journalism contest wants to see the best and most original online journalism

WASHINGTON, March 22, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Online journalism offers great options for innovative story-telling and use of technology to tell that story. The Joan M. Friedenberg Online Journalism Award aims to reward the best of that online work from 2015.

This award is named in memory of Joan M. Friedenberg, founding editor of the Online Newshour and wife of former Club President Jonathan D. Salant, and is funded by donations from Joan's friends and family.

The winner will have done original reporting and have taken advantage of online technology, such as interactive databases, primary-source interviews, and accompanying charts and graphs, in order to provide a thorough and graphically attractive report.

This is not a contest for stories that run online rather than in a print publication; this is to recognize the best journalism that uses online technology to provide a more compelling report than a print or broadcast story alone. Both online-only reports and sites that accompany print or broadcast stories are eligible; in the latter case, entrants must show how they used online content to enhance the print and broadcast reports.

The winner gets a $750 prize.

The Press Club, a national leader among journalism organizations, encourages those with excellent breaking news entries to send them in to the contest.

Entrants are encouraged to enter online, but if you prefer, the Club will accept entries mailed in the traditional way as long as they are postmarked before the deadline. No matter how you enter, the most important thing is to make sure you submit your best journalism.

The awards will be presented at an annual awards dinner at the National Press Club this summer.

The contest includes awards for breaking news coverage, political reporting, regional reporting on Washington, international coverage, consumer reporting and news photos. It also includes a group of awards for areas as diverse as reporting on the welfare of animals, coverage of the journalism industry, newsletter journalism, problems facing the elderly and humor writing.